The endless possibilities of augmented reality (AR) have stretched across many fields and industries and are revolutionizing one after another. Experts and professionals in sales have not overlooked its potential, and they quickly strived to utilize its diverse applications in sales.
Seeking to enhance customer experience and satisfaction, AR offers a unique and tangible purchase experience that transcends the standard visual boundaries and eliminates consumers’ indecision while granting business reliability.
What Is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality (AR) is a revolutionary digital technology that changes the way users experience and interact with their real-world environment. It is an advanced form of visualization, where digital content such as images, videos, sounds and/or text are superimposed or overlaid onto a real-life setting. This allows for the user to engage in an enhanced semi-fictional world – creating a captivating experience filled with interactivity.
Unlike virtual reality which requires a special headset to experience all the virtual elements, AR only needs a smart device or glasses to view the same augmented data. This makes it incredibly easy and accessible for anyone to use this technology. Plus, AR integrates both virtual and 3D elements for users to explore in much more depth – allowing for navigation through larger scale environments or applications than ever before.
This technological breakthrough also provides companies with innovative ways to reach customers that were not possible before. From using simple advertisement techniques like augmenting physical objects with digital assets to more complex interactive gameplays and highly sophisticated simulations – AR can be used in many different scenarios.
Ultimately, augmented reality offers an unrestricted interaction between digital products and the real world – giving users an authentic and highly engaging Digital/Real Life hybrid experience like no other.
How AR Improves Customer Experience
When it comes to customer experience, a variety of exciting applications have emerged in the sales industry in the last decade. A study published by Computer Generated Solutions (CGS), an outsourcing company supporting clients in business through different applications, highlights customers’ demand for AR applications.
In a survey of over 1000 customers, 42% of the participants in CGS’ study have expressed their interest in using AR during expert-guided tech support for installing or repairing a device or service, which calls attention to AR’s tremendous potential in improving customer experience and satisfaction.
Here are a few examples of AR applications in sales and customer experience:
1. Training Customer Service Agents
Customers feel ‘safer’ navigating through or buying products with the presence of a human factor as it adds a sense of sincerity and trustworthiness during the business transaction.
Customer service agents should be competent enough to communicate the product’s value to potential customers while correctly identifying their needs and providing support to any problems. Yet, training agents or representatives to serve potential customers efficiently can be time-consuming.
AR can provide an immersive training experience for customer service agents by simulating a first-hand work environment so that employees can learn faster and remember more. For example, employers can provide new employees with full-scale virtual models of their products instead of combing through each product in reality.
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2. Removing Uncertainty From Purchase Decisions
All online shoppers can be overwhelmed by indecision. However, a significant number of retailers are implementing technologies such as AR to provide customers with a personalized purchasing experience and gain a business edge over competitors. There have been some prominent examples of how AR marketing has enhanced digital and traditional products.
Interactions Daymon, a leader in retail marketing, conducted a study of over 1,000 U.S. citizens, and 72% of the respondents said they purchased unplanned items because they could view them using AR. This gives insight into the role of AR in eliminating uncertainty during a purchase.
If you plan to introduce AR into your business, you can use an AR tool for architects to digitally visualize your products and provide an exclusive purchase experience tailored to the customers’ needs. For example, customers can tweak colors or designs in any given model and thus make informed and decisive purchase decisions.
3. Offering Advice or Adding Value Via Interactive Packaging
The customer service process does not end once the customer purchases the product and checks out. As a business owner, you strive to engage your customers by creating a memorable purchase experience that encourages repeat purchases.
Interactive packaging is an emerging technology that establishes a bond between the brand and the customer. It shows concern and interest on the part of the brand’s owner that extends beyond check-out by giving the customer information or value instead of the standard label or packaging information.
Customers can point their device at the product and unveil unseen visual content that provides information or advice on using it.
4. Try-as-You-Buy Experiences
Most of the time, no amount of reviews or ratings online can make us resolute, and we only wish to hold an item somehow or try it on ourselves before buying it with our hard-earned money. Try-as-you-buy allows customers to virtually try on items before purchasing, reducing the number of returns and significantly increasing sales.
In 2016, Sephora launched Sephora Virtual Artist, enabling customers to experiment virtually with numerous cosmetics in different shades before buying them. For example, in a retail furniture business, customers can view 3D-modeled products in their homes and move the objects from one corner to another, depending on their preference.
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5. Identifying & Reporting Product Faults or Malfunctions
Not all customers are experts on what they buy. Often, customers buy items to improve their quality of life, and some items might malfunction post-sale. So, users resort to tech support.
However, most users justifiably struggle with understanding and reporting certain product faults or malfunctions to customer service agents, resulting in frustration for both the user and the agent. That’s why having a customer communication management strategy in place can do wonders.
Many companies employ AR in tech support by developing apps for their products. By using a phone or a tablet, customers can see a visual breakdown of the product’s parts which simplifies the feedback and complaints process for the customer and enables the service agent to detect the problem and quickly provide solutions.
6. Self-Service Support
Some customers prefer swift self-service in a world of time constraints instead of contacting tech support agents. This is why many businesses are also employing AR in self-service support, which has improved customer satisfaction post-sale.
Instead of searching the internet, being redirected from one page to another, and scrolling through endless help guides, customers can point their device at their product and obtain a full and detailed overlay of instructions that accommodate any inquiry.
Dell, a technology giant, specializing in computers and related services, developed an assistant AR app that provides detailed instructions to computer owners to modify or replace certain Dell computer parts. Such practical applications save time and encourage owners to manage any issues independently.
7. Intelligent Maintenance Advice & User Manuals
There is an increasing need for interactive manuals as businesses strive to communicate product knowledge to users effortlessly. AR can make product use and troubleshooting much easier by demonstrating simple visual instructions that are understandable to everyone.
Instead of leafing through complex paper manuals and help sheets, users, even with no previous experience with the product, can easily resolve tasks with the help of step-by-step visual instructions that can be accessed at any time.
For example, Hyundai replaced paper user manuals with interactive AR manuals that simplify repairs for car owners. Whether by a phone or a tablet, car owners can perform basic troubleshooting tasks without resorting to standard bulky manuals while earning brand customer loyalty in the process.
Augmented Reality: In Boosting Sales and Customer Experience
The exciting applications of AR in different industries have found their way into the sales and customer service fields. By providing an interactive customer experience, AR has remarkably contributed to increasing sales and customer satisfaction. Through the use of AR, businesses have the unique opportunity to engage with customers in a much more immersive and interactive way – creating emotionally-driven connections that leverage attention and loyalty. The ever-evolving AR industry shows no sign of slowing down, and you can expect even more applications of AR/VR technology across industries in the coming years.
Growth Hackers is an award-winning VR marketing agency helping businesses from all over the world grow. There is no fluff with Growth Hackers. We help entrepreneurs and business owners use augmented reality, increase their productivity, generate qualified leads, optimize their conversion rate, gather and analyze data analytics, acquire and retain users and increase sales. We go further than brand awareness and exposure. We make sure that the strategies we implement move the needle so your business grow, strive and succeed. If you too want your business to reach new heights, contact Growth Hackers today so we can discuss about your brand and create a custom growth plan for you. You’re just one click away to skyrocket your business.
